New restaurant coming to former Oak Hill Café space in Greenville

Listen to this article

Greenville continues to grow its reputation as a “foodie town” with its latest restaurant concept coming to 2510 Poinsett Highway.

People familiar with the busy area may recognize the building as the one where the old Oak and Fire restaurant operated. (Oak & Fire was was from the team behind the acclaimed Oak Hill Café in the same space).

A new concept, called “HeyDay,” is the latest eatery conceived by the KO Restaurant Group, which is known for other dining establishments in the area, including several at Gather GVL, like HenDough, a chicken and donuts eatery, the Lob Father, specializing in lobster rolls and KO Burger, focused on old-school favorites.

The KO Restaurant Group, comprised of Michael Olbrantz and Paul and Sarah Klaassen, brings a rich background to Greenville’s culinary scene. Paul began honing his cooking chops in high school, eventually progressing to working as a chef at North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate, where he met not only his wife who was a pastry chef there, but also Olbrantz who was a cook there at the time. Later, the three became a team.

“We came across the Poinsett Highway space while driving by and were impressed with it,” he said. Part of the attraction, according to Klaassen, is the location. “It’s part of the Greenville Gateway Project, which is the main corridor to downtown Greenville and Traveler’s Rest. Plus, it’s only a couple miles from Furman University,” said Klaassen, indicating that its proximity practically ensures a built-in clientele. “Greenville is moving towards annexing the entire Cherrydale area,” said Klaassen.

Here’s what’s on the menu

Klaassen said that the food lineup is still in development, but he offers a sneak peek into what customers can anticipate on the sandwich-forward menu.

“One sandwich will be a take on the classic Croque Madame that we will be calling a Croquette Madame,” he said, adding that the ingredients will include smoked ham, Swiss cheese and fried potato croquettes served on grilled sourdough and topped with a rich, creamy cheese sauce (Mornay) and a sunny side-up egg.

Klaassen said that they’ll also be serving an iteration of a classic Smashburger.

“It will be old-school thin and crisply grilled,” he said.

Those who enjoy Italian cured meats, will be happy to hear that they’ll be elevating the classic baloney sandwich by subbing in mortadella. Olbrantz sums the menu up as “fun takes on classic sandwiches,” adding that snacks like loaded tater tots will also be available to be served alongside.

As for the vibe, Klaassen said that when his family travels, they seek out spaces to relax where the kids could eat and play, while adults enjoyed tasty food and beverages and that’s the goal for HeyDay.

And speaking of beverages, the group reports that they’ll be taking classic cocktails and putting a spin on them. Klaassen mentions a Cheerwine Bourbon Slush and a shaken Pina Colada.

“A nice, refreshing summer drink we’ll be serving will be a rum-based Paloma,” adds Olbrantz, pointing out that drinks will be crafted in an Airstream travel trailer that will be situated onsite.

As for food sourcing, that’s still in the works as well. “So far, we have identified a local bakery we’ll be using for fresh high-quality ingredients,” said Klaassen.

When everything is up and running, the Group will be adding brunch to its lunch and dinner lineup.

“We’re anticipating serving it on the weekends,” said Klaassen, adding that there will also be plenty of onsite parking for customer convenience.

Klaassen said that they’re looking forward to, once again, contributing to the Greenville area’s culinary scene.

“We’re eyeing an opening date of May 5 and if all goes well, we’ll be up and running soon,” he said.